Meet The Team

Kirstie first came into contact with us when she received support during a very difficult time. Remaining in touch with the organisation over the years and continuing to receive ongoing support, she was later made aware of a job vacancy by the team and was delighted to be offered the position. Kirstie has now been with us for 17 years. As Chief Executive Officer, Kirstie is responsible for setting the organisation’s vision, strategy and culture, ensuring high quality services and advocacy for people with sight loss, and securing sustainable funding, partnerships and impact, while meeting governance and regulatory duties. Kirstie has Stargardt’s disease, a genetic form of macular degeneration, and was registered as severely sight impaired in her early twenties. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her much-loved dog, as well as walking and cooking.

Fiona joined us in October 2024, bringing with her over 32 years’ experience in the finance sector and an AAT qualification. With a family history of sight loss, she was motivated to support the charity through her skills and experience. As Finance Manager, Fiona is responsible for all aspects of our finance function, including the procurement and maintenance of our facilities. An interesting eye fact Fiona highlights is that diabetic retinopathy is a condition caused by diabetes which can lead to sight loss, but early detection and treatment significantly reduce the risk. As someone who is diabetic herself, Fiona regularly has her eyes scanned to monitor her eye health. Outside of work, Fiona lives in West Sussex with her children and enjoys staying active, keeping fit and spending time with friends.

Karen has worked in the sight loss sector for over 35 years and originally joined us in 2001, bringing a wealth of experience and knowledge to her role. As a Sight Care Advisor, Karen works within the Eye Clinic at St Richard’s Hospital, where she provides a listening ear and offers both emotional and practical support to people attending the clinic. Karen has hazel eyes and was very short-sighted in her younger years, but following laser treatment many years ago she no longer needs glasses for distance vision, although she does wear glasses for reading and close work. Karen is also currently being monitored by the eye clinic with suspected normal tension glaucoma.

Tara joined us with a strong desire to work in a role where she could help people, supported by a personal connection to eye health through several family members living with glaucoma. As a Vision Support Advisor, specialising in benefits, Tara supports people to complete forms, appeal benefits decisions and access appropriate magnification aids to help them manage day to day life more easily. An interesting eye fact about Tara is that she has had laser eye surgery to correct short sightedness, and she also enjoys sharing that the common “red eye” effect in photographs is caused by camera flash reflecting off the network of blood vessels at the back of the eye.

Sarah first became involved with us as a volunteer in 2020, just five days before the first national lockdown, and went on to join the team as a paid member of staff in May 2021. As Client Services Assistant, Sarah plays a key role in welcoming new clients to the charity and arranging referrals for vision assessments, benefits and technological support, as well as home visits from the West Sussex County Council Vision Rehabilitation Specialist team. She also coordinates assessments for existing clients. Sarah has blue green eyes, with one eye being short sighted and the other long sighted, and has worn corrective lenses since the age of two.

Rachel had been aware of us for many years through her work in the voluntary, charity and education sectors, as well as personal experience of age related macular degeneration (AMD) within her family. As Volunteer Coordinator, Rachel is responsible for recruiting, interviewing and appointing volunteers across our wide range of voluntary roles. Rachel has blue eyes and experienced an acute macular episode at the age of 16, which led to scarring at the back of her right eye. Although this was initially misdiagnosed for many years, specialists at Moorfields later confirmed that the distinctive markings seen in her eye were the result of the original leakage, rather than the presence of metal as previously thought.

Rhiannan joined us in 2024 after being made redundant from a corporate role and was keen to move into a position that focused on writing, something she has always loved. With a personal connection to sight loss through her brother, she was motivated to support others with similar experiences. As Fundraising Development Officer, Rhiannan is responsible for diversifying our income and engaging with donors and supporters, helping us to reach our fundraising targets while building lasting relationships. Rhiannan has blue eyes which often appear to change colour, as blue eyes have no blue pigment and their appearance is caused by Rayleigh scattering, meaning they can look grey, green or icy blue depending on the light.

Philip joined us in November 2025, marking his first role within the charity sector. His introduction to the organisation came through attending a low vision assessment at our Shoreham office, which helped boost his confidence and led to a conversation about joining the fundraising team. As Fundraising Officer, Philip works as part of the fundraising team seeking donations and grants from trusts and businesses, and also attends our walking groups to provide information and support when needed. Having undergone seven eye operations over the past ten years for a range of conditions, Philip has a strong understanding of eye health and is able to share his experiences with our clients.